What happened
On the evening of 25 March 2021, a Hawk T Mk1 aircraft, serial number XX189, was conducting a night flying training sortie from RNAS Culdrose. The aircraft was operated by 736 Naval Air Squadron as part of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. During the flight, the aircraft departed controlled flight and crashed into terrain near the airfield. Both occupants on board were killed instantly upon impact.
The investigation
The Defence Safety Authority (DSA), acting under the authority of the Military Aviation Authority (MAA), conducted a Service Inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the accident. The inquiry examined flight data, wreckage analysis, and operational records to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the loss of the aircraft.
Findings
The investigation established that the primary factor contributing to the accident was spatial disorientation experienced by the pilot. During the night sortie, the handling pilot lost situational awareness regarding the aircraft's attitude relative to the horizon. This physiological confusion prevented the pilot from correctly interpreting flight instruments and controlling the aircraft's orientation. As a result, the Hawk T Mk1 entered an unrecoverable descent. The causal chain was driven by this loss of spatial orientation, which led directly to the controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) event.
Safety action
The Service Inquiry concluded with recommendations aimed at enhancing defence safety protocols for night flying operations. These findings were disseminated to the military Chain of Command to inform future training standards and risk mitigation strategies within naval aviation units.